Kesteven and Sleaford High School 11+ guide

Key information for Kesteven and Sleaford High School

• Address: Kesteven and Sleaford High School, Jermyn Street, Sleaford NG34 7RS

• Number of pupils: approx 800

• Admissions contact: [email protected]

• Number of places in Year 7: 124

• 11+ exam: Lincolnshire Consortium of Grammar Schools 11 plus exam

• Catchment area: no

What subjects are on the entrance exam?

Kesteven and Sleaford High School uses the Lincolnshire Consortium of Grammar Schools 11 plus. This consists of two papers which are taken on consecutive Saturdays in September:

• Verbal reasoning: this paper consists of 80 questions split across 15 sections. The paper has a time limit of 50 minutes.

• Non-verbal and spatial reasoning: this paper consists of 70 questions split across 5 sections. Each section is timed individually by the invigilator.

All of the questions in the Lincolnshire 11 plus are multiple-choice. Your child will have separate answer sheets which they will use to mark their answers. These are marked electronically.

Atom’s top tips for 11 plus preparation

The Lincolnshire 11 plus is designed to select the most academically able children in the area. Here are our top tips to help you and your child feel confident for exam day!

Bitesize learning

It’s important to build a good knowledge base before the 11 plus. Using a ‘little and often’ approach when learning is key – our brains encode new information more effectively when dealing with smaller ‘chunks’ of information. For children aged 10–11, child psychologists recommend regular study sessions of 20–30 minutes.

Atom Home makes learning a more enjoyable process for your child. They'll explore exciting worlds full of interactive questions, earning coins to spend in the Atom shop. Atom adapts to your child, showing them questions at just the right level of difficulty to keep them motivated.

Read widely

11 plus exams test your child’s ability to analyse and interpret written information. Regular reading is a great way to help your child build these skills.

Encourage them to read books from different genres and by a diverse range of authors. Increasing the variety of your child’s reading will help them understand different styles, tones and purposes. Meanwhile, reading a little every day will help widen their vocabulary, sharpen their analytical thinking, and enhance their imagination.

Refine exam technique

When your child feels confident with the topics they’ve learnt in Year 5, they’ll be ready to put their knowledge to the test.

Practice tests can help your child develop problem-solving skills and build confidence working under test conditions. They’re also a great way to consolidate learning and highlight knowledge gaps for further improvement.

With Atom Home, you'll unlock online mock tests and printable practice papers for the Lincolnshire Consortium 11 plus entrance test. Enjoy automatic marking and progress tracking with the online tests, and help your child get familiar with the real exam experience with printable practice papers.

Celebrate progress

Setting regular, achievable goals and celebrating your child’s progress – no matter how big or small – will help keep their motivation high.

Make sure to encourage a growth mindset. This means celebrating effort, as well as achievement! When your child makes mistakes or struggles to understand a particular topic, help them understand that they’ll improve through practice. Regular praise will help your child improve their resilience when tackling new and challenging topics.